Passengers were told to check-in at least two hours before departure on domestic flights and three hours for international flights by Vietnam Airlines, the national flag carrier, as an attempt to handle the rush. Ex-recommend time is 40 and 50 minutes.

During the peak season, check-in procedures take significantly longer, the airline said.

Vietnam Airlines also want to ready at boarding-gate 30 – 40 minutes before scheduled take off time.

More delays are expected because of upgrade work at Noi Bai Airport’s domestic terminal will start this week.

Terminal’s capacity will increase to 12 millions passengers per year from 9 millions at current thanks for the expansion plan.

The carrier also suggests that passengers check-in online 24 hours before departure to save time at check-in counters.

Noi Bai handles 400 flights in the off season and 500 flights during the peak season.

Airline market in Vietnam is growing very fast. The airline industry served 52.2 million passengers last year, up 29 percent from 2015. The domestic sector alone grew 30 percent with 28 million passengers, based on aviation authority data.